Rotary well-drilling apparatus



July 16, 1929. 5, 055655 1,721,004

ROTARY'WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Fiid April 23, 1928 WNW INVENTOR fllfieft51 fiefiose.

I ATTORNEY Patented July. 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES ALBERT S. DEBOSE, OIF LOS ANGEL-ES, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY WELL-DRILLING- APPARATUS.

Application filed April 23, 1928. Serial No. 272,205. r

The invention generally relates to rotary 'well drilling apparatus andprimarily has for its object to provide certain new and usefulimprovements in such apparatus whereby an apparatus of particularlysimple and inexpensive construction is provided which is eflicient inoperation and in which provision is made for assuring against lateralswinging or side deflection of the drill bit causing an oversize bore.

In its more detailed nature the invention resides in the provision of adrill bit proper which is rotatable to provide for the proper drillingof the well bore, and two or more anti-friction and centering bearingmechanisms carried by the bit in spaced relation whereby they willengage theside walls of the bore and prevent side deflection or lat eralswinging of the said bit.

The invention further resides in the provision of one or more reamerscarried by the drill bit between and held centered by the anti-frictionand centering bearing mechanisms and designed to assure the provision rof a smooth walled bore truly concentric to the axis of the drill bit.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed outhereinafter.

- To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends. my inventionconsists in the novel details of construction, combination andarrangement of parts, all of which will be' first fully described in thefollowing detailed description, then be particularly pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic vertical longitudinal section of awell bore, the invention being shown in operation therein.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 on Figure 1. I

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line on Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 on Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a central longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5 onFigure 4.

In the drawing, in which like numerals of reference indicate like partsin all of the figures, 1 generally designates a well bore formed by thelongitudinal rotatable drill body 2 and the drill proper 3 carried atthe lower end thereof. It should be under-. stood that the drill bit maybe of any. type such as would cause an out of round and oversize wellbore.

The reamer 6 may also be mounted on the drill body 2 intcrmediately ofthe said upper and lower bearing members 4 and 5, as shown in Figure 1of the drawings, and by reason ofthe provision of the'said reamer andthe mounting of the same between the centering bearings additional meansis provided for assuring the forming of a smooth, true well bore.

The reamer 6 may be of any acceptable type, the illustration made inthis drawing being merely general in character, and in the illustrationshown the same comprises a cutting edge 7 extended by narrow webs 8 froma center hub 9 secured as at 10 upon the body 2, the said webs providingfor cut-outs or spaces 11 to permit passage of borings and fluid.

The drill body 2 is provided with a stop shoulder 12 associated witheach centering and bearing member t5 and another bearing shoulder 13which is grooved to receive a packing ring 14. The body 2 is furtherreduced at the point of placement of each centering and bearing memberto provide a bearing portion 15 and also with threaded portions 16, thepurpose for all of which will be explained later.

Each centering and anti-friction bearing member comprises a cylindricalbody 17 provided with narrow web divided cutouts 18 to provide forsuitable passage of borings and fluid through the said members androller bearings 19 mounted on the horizontal axes in cut-outs 20provided in their peripheries, see Figures 1 and 6.

Each body 17 includes a hub extension 21 at one end to fit over theassociated bearing shoulder 13 and through which a suitable lubricantmay be administered into the bearing interior of the said bearing bodythrough the lubricating equipment 22.

\ members A roller bearing cage 23 is mounted on each bearing portion 15of the drill member 2 with one end thereof abutting the shoulder end ofthe bearing shoulder 13, each said cage being clamp-secured to theposition stated by a facing nut 24 and a jamb nut 25.

Each bearing body 17 is provided with a bore 26 to fit the bearingshoulder 13 and a counterbore 27 to fit the bearing cage 23, and theface of the said, bearing body toward the facing nut 24 is grooved toreceive a packing ring 28. The rings 14 and 28 serve as lubricantretainers, see Figure 5.

The drill body 2 is axially bored at 29 to permit the administering intothe drilled bore of water under pressure for the usual clean-outpurposes.

In operation the drill body 2 is freely rotatable in the bearing andcentering members 4 and 5 and by reason of the fact that the saidbearing members engage the side walls of the bore, through the medium oftheir anti-friction rollers 19, at two relatively remote points thedrill body is held in true axial alignment with the bore being formedand all tendencies of the drill body to swing laterally or to bedeflected from its true course by hard substances are efiectivelyovercome. In raising and lowering the drill bit the anti-frictionrollers 19 assure against binding and facilitate such movement of thedrill body.

By reason of constructing the bearing and centering members asillustrated in detail in Figure 5a of the drawing the said are heldagainst longitudinal movement on the drill body but the mounting of thesaid members on the body is such that the drill body is freely rotatablein the said hearing, as will be clear by reference to the said figure.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, it is thought that the novel details ofconstruction, the manner of use and the advantages of my invention willbe readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates.

hat I claim is I. In Well drilling apparatus, a rotatable drill bodyhaving an enlarged collar, a hearing portion and a threaded portionforming" an extension of said bearing portion; a roller bearing cagesurrounding the bearing portion and abutting the collar at one end; abearing and centering member comprising a cylindrical body having a boreto fit over the collar, a counterbore to fit the bearing cage and of alength topermit the said cage to project slightly at one end beyond thebearing body, thin Web spacedopenings to permit'passage of borings,andbeing of a diameter to closely but loosely fit the bore being made;means on the drill body to prevent longitudinal movement of the bearingbody along the drill body in one direction, and a member adjustablymounted on the threaded portion to secure the bearing cage to positionand prevent longitudinal movement of said bearing member in the otherdirection.

2. In well drilling apparatus. a rotatable drill body havingan enlargedcollan a hearing portion and a threaded portion torming an extension ofsaid bearing portion; a roller bearing cage surrounding the bearingportion and abutting the collar at one end; a bearing and centeringmember comprising a cylindrical body having a bore to fit over thecollar, a. counterbore to fit the bearing cage'a-nd of a length topermit the said cage to project slightly at one end beyond the bearingbody, thin web spaced openings to permit passage of borings, and beingof a diameter to closely but loosely fit the bore being made; means onthe drill body to prevent longitudinal movement of the bearing bodyalong the drill body in one direction, a member adjustably mounted onthe threaded portion to secure the bearing cage to position and preventlongitudinal movement of said bearing member in the other direction,said collar and the portion of the hearing member opposing theadjustably mounted member being provided with grooves, lubricantretaining rings in the grooves, and means to administer lubricantthrough a portion of the bearing member into the counterbore thereof.

3. In well drilling apparatus, a rotatable drill body having an enlargedcollar, a bearing portion and a threaded portion forming an extension ofsaid bearing portion; a roller bearing cage surrounding the bearingportion and abutting the collar at one end; a'bearing and centeringmember comprising a cylindrical bodyhaving a bore to fit over thecollar, a counterbore to fit the bearing cage and of a length to permitthe said cage to project slightly at one end beyond the bearing bodythrough Web spaced openings to permit passage of borings, and being of adiameter to closely but loosely fit the bore being made; means on thedrill body to prevent longitudinal movement of the bearing body alongthe drill body in one direction, a member adjustably mounted. on thethreaded portion to secure the bearing cage to position and preventlongitudinal movement of said bearing member in the other direction, andanti-friction rollers mounted in the periphery of the bearing member onhorizontal axes and adapted to engage the walls of the bore.

ALBERT S. DEBOSE.

